Life in PNG

Aside from at least 3 people trying to sell me Viagra, and another 5 people trying to offer me pirated software over the internet, I can usually rely on opening my inbox and finding at least one great “Life in PNG” story from the other volunteers in PNG each week.

This week I got not just one, but two:

From E... (teacher – recently made principal by default! - in Kavieng):
I had an interesting experience today. I was discussing a child with his mother. This child is a bully and one of the most bossy people i have ever met even for a child. He also has no self control and will often be disruptive in class. Basically he is a brat. When i was talking to his mother she admitted that it was a problem and that she had trouble controlling him at home. She also made him appologise and then started to explain to me her theory as to why he was like that. Apparently while he was a baby they were living in the village instead of in town. There was another woman in the village who had many daughters but no sons. When this boy was born she was jealous because he was such a good baby. This woman pretended to be friends with the mother and would babysit for her. While she was babysitting she took revenge on the mother for having such a wonderful baby boy and she used black magic to put a curse on the baby. Ever since then the boy has been a bighead apparently. So while she was talking the child was there and she turned to him and asked him to tell me why he was such a bad boy. He dutifully replied that it was the black magic that made him do it. Then she made him go and sit in the playground and told him to say his memorised scriptures and to say a prayer to ask god to take the black magic and send it back to the jealous woman.

How do you argue with that?

From Mark (Operations Manager at Port Moresby City Mission):
SITUATION : I get an email from a staff member saying that someone has removed the telephone line because they can’t connect to the internet?
I think to myself “well this is going to be a fun conversation”. I pick up the phone and call the staff member.

Mark “Sharon, I just received your email, did you send it from your computer?”
Sharon “Yes, you said that we spend too much money on the phone, that is why I emailed you”
Mark “But Sharon, you say you can’t connect to the internet ……”
Sharon “That’s right, I think the phone cord is missing”
Mark “But you sent me an email…..”
Sharon “That’s right”
Mark “Ok, if you sent an email, then you must have connected to the internet”
Sharon “Oh …. (Giggle, giggle) …. Ummmm”
Mark “I’m just wondering Sharon, why you even sent an email if you didn’t think you could connect to the internet?”
Sharon “(Giggle, giggle). The internet is working now, thank you Mr Mark”
Mark “That’s ok Sharon, have a good day”

Ahhhhh, my head shaking episode for today completed, all before lunch too.